Introduction
CM Sphere is the latest CPU cooler from Cooler Master, using a very unique design based on a radial fan. This cooler is 100% made of copper, using four heat-pipes and according to Cooler Master it also helps to cool down the components around the CPU, such as the motherboard voltage regulator and the chipset.
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Figure 1: CM Sphere box.
As you can see on Figures 2 and 3 this cooler really looks like a sphere, hence its name.
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Figure 2: CM Sphere CPU cooler.
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Figure 3: CM Sphere CPU cooler.
As you can see all parts are made of copper (fins, heat-pipes and base) and as we mentioned earlier this cooler features four heat-pipes, as you can see on Figure 4.
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Figure 4: Copper heat-pipes.
On Figure 4 you can also see in the middle of the cooler part of its radial fan (on Figure 5 we have a better view of this fan), which glows blue when the system is turned on. This kind of fan blows air more evenly compared to axial fans, which are the kind normally used on CPU fans. By the way, the first cooler we’ve seen using a radial fan was also a model from Cooler Master, called Aero 7, back in 2003.
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Figure 5: View from the top (see the radial fan).
Introduction (Cont’d)
The base of this cooler comes protected with a plastic part, as you can see on Figure 6.
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Figure 6: The base comes protected with a plastic part.
Sphere’s copper base is very smooth, as you can see on Figure 7.
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Figure 7: Copper base.
The only thing we didn’t like about CM Sphere is that it doesn’t provide any speed control for its fan, so it is always running at its maximum speed (and thus producing its maximum noise level). It uses the traditional 3-pin connector, meaning that the fan speed isn’t automatically controlled according to the CPU usage, as it happens on fans using four wires.
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Figure 8: Sphere uses the traditional 3-pin connector, not providing speed control.
This cooler is compatible with both AMD and Intel CPUs and it comes with all necessary retention mechanisms plus one tube of thermal grease.
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Figure 9: Clips, plates, nuts, screws, rings and thermal grease that comes with CM Sphere.
Main Features
Cooler Master CM Sphere main features are:
- Application: Sockets 775, AM2, 939, 754.
- Fins: Copper
- Base: Copper
- Heat-pipes: Four 6-mm copper heat-pipes
- Fan: Radial with blue LED
- Fan speed: 2,200 rpm
- Far airflow: 84.7 CFM
- Noise level: 22 dBA
- Weight: 1.5 Lbs (684.54 g)
- More Information: http://www.coolermaster.com
- Average price in the US*: USD 45.00
* Researched at Shopping.com on the day we published this First Look article.
Originally at http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/529
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